


A Sky Full of Stars

by CastleSL



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allurance Big Bang 2018, CEO Allura, Discussion of Abortion, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Kidnapping, Lost Princess Allura, Minor Violence, Mistaken Identity, Original Character(s), Police Officer Keith (Voltron), Police Officer Shiro (Voltron), Rowan - Freeform, Single Father Lance, allurance, like super brief, pining lance, very brief - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 20:49:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15057539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastleSL/pseuds/CastleSL
Summary: Lance is a single father who just wants to give his little girl the world. When he reunites with Allura, his best friend and crush since elementary school, things really start to look up. Until Lance finds himself in the middle of a conflict between two alien races and his daughter is kidnapped. Meanwhile, Allura finally discovers her true heritage as she helps Lance search for his daughter.





	A Sky Full of Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This is my submission for the Allurance Big Bang!!
> 
> Huge thank you to Levi ( http://translunarcrafts.tumblr.com/ ) and Lyrikin ( http://lyrikin.tumblr.com/ ) who were my two amazing artists!! They were so patient with me because I CANNOT post on a schedule as anyone who follows my stories knows. Still! I will add links to their beautiful pieces for this fic soon!

“Daddy!” Rowan chirped as she came sprinting out of the front doors of her elementary school, running full tilt at her dad who was waiting at the end of the walkway. Lance beamed and bent low just in time to scoop the little girl up and set her down on his hip so he could land an obnoxiously loud kiss on her cheek. 

“There’s my little Ro-boat! How was school?” Normally kids would answer with a bright “Good!” or some other variation, but Rowan went in on a full itinerary for everything she had done that day, starting the second she walked through the door. Miss Zheringer (Or Miss Z as she told the kids to call her, since it was easier. Rowan liked to try to pronounce her name anyway) had them practice their penmanship and basic math, and during recess Rowan had been able to cross the monkey bars all the way without dropping down to the ground. Lance listened intently. He loved listening to his little girl’s riveting tales of first grade. Truth be told he loved listening to all of her stories, though when she started to recite all the words on her spelling test, the man did start to zone out a bit. 

Lance’s little girl had always had an overactive imagination and an “exceptionally boundless personality” as the teachers liked to call it. She could talk for hours about anything with anyone, granted they stayed attentive and gave her constant feedback. It was a trait she’d definitely picked up from Lance. Not that he minded, rather he loved nothing more than to lay with Rowan on the living room carpet and listen to her rave about space battles and far off kingdoms where the princesses are the ones to fight the dragons. 

“Oh! And I got a hundred on my spelling test!” The seven year old suddenly chirped, bringing Lance back into the present. Spelling tests were always the big stresses of first grade, that and finding people to play with at recess. Rowan had been practicing the set list of words all week with her father so she would be ready. Lance was hardly surprised at all. Still, his eyes went wide and he smiled even wider.

“You did?” He set Rowan back down and took her little hand in his. “Well, in that case, I think you deserve something special to celebrate! What about some ice cream?” It was the beginning of may, just the right amount of heat to justify a nice cold treat. Though it could be October and Lance would still want ice cream. His sweet tooth had also been passed down to his daughter, and it was ever so apparent when Ro’s whole face lit up with excitement and she started pulling her dad away from the school and toward the sidewalk. The elementary school was only a few streets away from the little main street full of shops and cafes, close enough for them to walk. 

“Bring your kid to work” day was always an absolute spectacle when Lance brought Rowan, decked out in a pirate costume. But lately Rowan has been having these very specific dreams about a huge kingdom, as big as a planet and a beautiful Princess who fights evil monsters. Lance keeps finding drawings of symbols and landscapes in her backpack, but he doesn't question it, Rowan was just like that.

“Daddy! The princess!” She suddenly yelled and Lance looked out across the street curiously. It wasn’t uncommon for high schoolers who dressed as princesses for birthday parties to walk down the street in costume after work. He’d actually hired one for his daughter’s fifth birthday when she really got into the whole princesses and castles phase. Of course Rowan spent most of the party asking how the princess got out of her tower and if she had fought the dragon all by herself. Lance had slipped the sixteen year old an extra twenty dollars for being so patient with his overly curious child. Surprisingly, though, there was no princess in sight and Lance looked back down at his daughter. 

“I don’t see a princess, Ro. Are you sure you…” He trailed off when he realized Rowan was no longer standing next to and his whipped his head around in a panic. “Ro?!” His first instinct was to look towards the street in fear that his daughter was about to sprint into traffic, but he couldn’t see her. While that meant she wasn’t in the street, she still wasn’t _there_ with him and it was not helping his rising anxiety. 

The tinkling of bells caught his attention and Lance just barely turned around in time to see Rowan, with her uncontrollable kinky curls and fluorescent blue backpack, sprint inside a small coffee shop, the wide glass windows letting him catched a glimpse of his daughter barreling past the tiny tables and confused patrons. Lance ran after her in the next second and nearly knocked over an innocent server who was walking past the door right as Lance burst through it. 

“Rowan!” He called and stumbled through the cafe to where the excited seven year old was hastily dumping her drawings from school onto some poor person’s table. The stranger was too shocked by being bombarded by a child to act fast enough when their espresso cup was accidentally knocked over. The coffee spilled over the edge of the table, but mercifully not on the person or any of their belongings. Lance quickly pulled Rowan away from the table and kept his head bowed in embarrassment and he tried to wipe up the remaining mess with the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m so sorry! She doesn’t usually run off like that- I don’t know what got into her.” Rowan squirmed in his arms and Lance looked down at her worriedly. “Rowan, apologize to this nice person. Please, let me buy you another…” Once again, Lance’s train of thought was derailed and sent careening off course as he looked up and recognized the woman his daughter had targeted. “...Allura?”

She stared at him for a long moment, her pale brown eyes flicking back and forth rapidly all over his face, trying to piece everything together before they widened comically. She stood up from her seat, poised and graceful as ever. 

“Lance? Is that really you?” Her voice was soft and hesitant, but Lance would recognize it in a heartbeat. He had listened to that same voice give resounding speeches at pep rallies and debates, as well as lectures over tests that they both knew Lance wouldn’t take seriously until the very last minute. The accent was also a dead giveaway. Lance nodded his head dumbly and stood up straight. 

“The one and only.” His voice was a little tight, but he hoped Allura didn’t notice. After all, it had been years since they had last seen each other and Lance was justifiably surprised to see Allura back in this small town. He felt a short tug on his pant leg and he saw Rowan looking between them with wide eyes. “Ro, please apologize.” He reiterated, but the little girl was still too awestruck. 

“Daddy, you know the princess?” Rowan asked, ignoring Lance’s request and sounding completely betrayed that her father would hold such important information from her. Lance looked down at her in confusion so she clarified. “The princess from my dream! In the flying castle, daddy! I told you!” She did not seem happy at all that her dad had forgotten so easily, but Lance was still trying to catch up with everything. So was Allura, it seemed, since she kept looking between Lance and Rowan with wonder. 

“No, sweety, this is…” The girl who had lived right across the street from Lance during their childhood. The girl who sat with Lance at lunch every day during elementary and middle school despite being a grade ahead of him. She was the girl who had become the student body president, debate team captain, and valedictorian, all while still staying friends with Lance who was nothing but an obnoxious twig who loved sharks and looking up bad pick up lines. She was Lance’s first kiss in kindergarten when they both thought kisses meant that it would make them remain friends forever. And the girl who helped Lance figure out his own sexuality in sophomore year and encouraged him to ask out the cute guy in chemistry (she was also the one to comfort him after the inevitable rejection). Allura was the best friend who made Lance feel like he could take on the world so long as it would make her happy, and the girl he had loved more than anything on earth. 

“...A very good friend of mine.”

Allura tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a habit that she never seemed to shake, and before Lance knew it he was being pulled into a strong hug that left him breathless.

“What are you even doing here? I thought you moved halfway across the country!”

“Well, I did. However, my company is establishing a new branch in the next town over. I volunteered to oversee it personally.”

“Ah, so it wasn’t because you missed little old us?” Lance always used to tease Allura about her elevating to bigger and better things and forgetting about the small town that raised her. Allura’s smile softened some. 

“Well, to say I haven’t missed some things would be a lie.” She admitted and Lance could not help the way his chest filled with warmth. So, he hadn’t been forgotten after all. Part of him had always wondered if Allura ever remembered the scrawny boy who she grew up with. Before Lance could fall too far down that path of thinking, he suddenly remembered his daughter’s outburst. He knelt down and lifted Rowan up to rest on his hip. 

“Allura, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Rowan.” The little seven year old practically vibrated as she beamed at Allura. 

“Hi!” She chirped and Allura gave a small wave and a smile. 

“Rowan, please apologize to Allura for knocking over her drink and interrupting her.” Lance said sternly and Rowan pouted for a second, thinking herself justified, before relaying the apology back to Allura. The apology was waved off easily. 

“It’s not a problem at all. I had a short break so I probably wasn’t going to finish it all anyway- though, Lance you didn’t have to sacrifice your poor shirt.” She pointed to the dark stain on Lance’s sleeve. 

“Nah, it’s fine. You should see what my clothes look like after working in the penguin exhibit at the aquarium.” The younger man joked, but he trailed off awkwardly when he realized what his statement insinuated his clothes were stained _with_. “So! Uh, how long will you be sticking around?” He asked and he hoped his voice didn’t sound too hopeful. 

“I’m not a fan of sitting in an office in a cramped city every day. I’ve only been back for a few weeks, and even if it has mostly been unpacking I hope to stay here for as long as I possibly can before I’m called back.” Allura replied and Lance visibly perked up. 

“Well! If you haven’t finished unpacking then that probably means you haven’t had a proper home cooked meal yet, have you?” He asked and Allura nodded her head sadly. 

“I managed to go out to dinner with Coran the night I came back home, but with so much work, I’m afraid any cooking utensils I have are still packed away in boxes.” 

“Well then,” Lance said gallantly and set Rowan down on the floor so he could grab the purple gel pen out of the side pocket on Rowan’s backpack. “I am officially inviting you for a proper dinner at my place.” He quickly scribbled his home address and number onto the back of one of Rowan’s drawings before handing it to Allura. Ro had wanted her to have the drawings anyway. The woman chuckled at the invitation and folded up the paper to slip into her purse. 

“So you cook now?”

“Absolutely! In my family? If I couldn’t cook for my little girl, mama would have an aneurysm, you know that. Plus I have copies of all my grandma’s recipes.” 

“Well, in that case, if you’re truly offering I would love to.” Allura smiled brightly and pulled out her phone to get to her calendar. “We can have a proper- oh my goodness!” Allura suddenly shot up from the table and started to cram everything on the table into her bag. “I’m so sorry. I have a meeting and I lost track of time! I usually don’t do this, I’m-” Lanc laughed and laid a hand on Allura’s shoulder to steady her. 

“It’s fine, ‘Llura. We’ll set up a date later. You go be your impressive business woman self and we’ll talk later. You have my number.” Allura smiled at him gratefully and knelt down so she could properly say farewell to the little girl staring up at her. 

“It was a pleasure meeting you, miss Rowan.” Allura said kindly and with that, she rushed out of the cafe, leaving behind two starstruck McClains in her wake. 

\------

Later that night, Lance was stretched out on the couch in his comfy sweatpants and threadbare T-shirt. He had one arm wrapped around Rowan as they watched the Little Mermaid for the third hundredth time at least, both sleepy from a long day and a hearty dinner. It was almost nine, so Ro’s internal clock was starting to kick in and make her eyes flutter even as she desperately tried to stay awake. She always liked to believe she could stay up for hours past her bedtime, but it was only a matter of time before she would become a dead weight against Lance’s hip. He already knew his daughter wouldn’t last to the wedding scene, though to be fair he wasn’t far behind either. 

Seeing Allura after so many years of separation had left Lance nostalgic. He couldn’t help but reminisce about old times when he and Allura were inseparable. They would spend every waking moment together, even though they had their own personal lives and friend groups, they always made time for their weekly trips to the mall downtown or calling each other to vent. It was kind of pathetic, but Lance always took great pride in being the person Allura came to to voice her doubts and insecurities. Even if Lance didn’t have the answer, she always knew that he was her most attentive listener. 

They certainly had gone in different paths, though. Lance had gotten his girlfriend pregnant in college and was forced to drop out his senior year. Meanwhile, Allura had gone to one of the best business schools in the country on a full ride. She had obviously been very successful in her career, but Lance would hardly count himself as unlucky. 

Eventually the movie ended and just as Lance suspected. Rowan was dead to the world, sleeping peacefully on top of her dad. The man chuckled tiredly before slowly sitting up on the couch, turning off the TV and then shifting Rowan around so that Lance could lift her into his arms. His nose crinkled when Rowan’s curls tickled him, but otherwise it was easy to cradle her close and walk her upstairs to her bedroom. Lance set her down gently and sighed with contentment when the girl settled easily and snuggled against her pillow. There really was no feeling quite like seeing your own child completely at peace. 

“Goodnight, Ro.” Lance whispered and pressed a quick kiss to Rowan’s temple, then made sure she was properly tucked in. She would kick the blankets halfway off the bed by morning, but Lance liked to make sure she was nice and cocooned anyway. After a moment or two Lance straightened up, made his way out of the room and closed the door with a very soft click. Almost a second after the man shut the door the phone rang downstairs, loud and obnoxious. So Lance quickly dashed downstairs and ripped the phone off the receiver without looking at the caller ID. He just didn’t want Rowan to wake up. 

Lance was about to put the phone back down and cut the line, but curiosity got the better of him. If anything, it was always fun to listen to telemarketers make outrageous claims and offers to get his money. So the man leaned his shoulder against the wall and put the phone up to his ear.

“Hello? Lance McClain speaking.” There wasn’t an immediate answer and for a second Lance wondered if this was just an automated message from Rowan’s school. 

“You were foolish to believe you could hide from us, Altean.” The voice was thin and raspy, and if Lance wasn’t so confused by the statement, he would have been a little more worried about how _dangerous_ the person sounded. 

“I’m sorry, who is this? I think you have the wrong number, man. There’s no one here named Altean.” Lance was about to end the call there, but the guy on the other end suddenly laughed. 

“You have become careless. You thought you could hide from the Galra forever. But your days of hiding are over, and so is your lineage.” Things were escalating in a direction that Lance was not expecting at nine-thirty on a Tuesday night. He shook his head in disbelief. 

“Is this some kind of a prank call? Dude, no one here is named Altean. Please, don’t call this number again.” Lance didn’t know who this Altean person was but clearly they had fucked with the wrong people. Or this mystery guy was insane, either one. 

“No, you are correct. Soon, no Alteans will live here again, or anywhere else.” And Lance had never been threatened before, nothing beyond a spanking from his mom when he was six. But something about this man’s voice, his tone, made chills run up his spine. Whoever this man was, he sounded like he had already won. “You could never hide the Princess for long. But take solace in the fact that she will not perish in agony.” 

“Look, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, so leave me alone before I call the police on-” 

And then Lance heard it. A loud, deafening beep that Lance knew did not belong to any of the appliances in the apartment. It kept repeating, over and over again. Lance’s blood ran cold. This wasn’t some kind of prank, and if it was, then this person was going the distance to make Lance absolutely terrified. The beeping got louder, or Lance’s adrenalin was playing tricks on him, and the guy on the other end was still talking, something about the final strike to complete some mission or whatnot but Lance wasn’t listening anymore. All that was running through his head was how some stranger had called him, threatened him, and now there was a beeping coming from somewhere in the house that Lance couldn’t pinpoint. 

Lance dropped the phone and ran upstairs. He didn’t care about who was on the phone, or what was happening. He needed to get to his daughter _now_. Nothing else mattered beyond that. He burst into Rowan’s room and hurriedly scrambled to get his child in his arms. The little girl whined at being moved so roughly, her eyes blinking open blearily to look around. 

“Daddy…? Wha’s goin’ on?” She mumbled but Lance didn’t have any answers for her. He didn’t know much about the situation beyond a terrifying phone call. So he did his best to hush his child as he ran downstairs to grab his car keys and get them out of the house. 

Lance should have checked to make sure the doors were locked. He would have if he had not been in such a rush. But really… locking the door, checking the windows… None of it would have mattered. That beeping that had spiked Lance’s nerves was faster now, louder and Lance barely had the chance to react.

The beeping got faster and faster and then, just as it was at its loudest, the front door to Lance and Rowan’s home was blasted off its hinges. Lance had to spin around fast to keep Rowan from being hit from debris. The little girl was wide awake now, shaking with fear and confusion. When Lance turned around again, it was to see two men in his living room. One was an absolute beast, with an metal arm and a glowing red eye. The other was thin and spindly, like a spider, only these men- these _things_ weren’t human. They were purple and huge and the smaller intruder was dangling a cell phone between his fingers, mocking Lance. 

“I- I don’t know what you guys are… But you’ve got the wrong people! You-” Lance couldn’t even finish his sentence.

“Haxus, take the princess.” The bigger Galra ordered and Haxus smiled, then crushed the cell phone in his hand like it was made of paper. 

“With pleasure, Commander Sendak.” And Lance didn’t have any time to react. Suddenly Haxus was right on top of him and his daughter. A clawed hand gripped Rowan by the back of her pajama top and wrenched the girl back, and at the same time Haxus sent his fist crashing into the side of Lance’s head. Rowan screamed and thrashed violently to get away, but Haxus held her firmly in his arms, which only made her scream more from fear. Lance didn’t even notice his nose spouting blood like faucet, all he could think about was getting his daughter and keeping her safe. He had to get to her. He needed to. He _needed_ to. But as soon as Lance was back on his feet, the metal arm attached to the commander was on Lance’s chest, pushing him back onto the floor and crushing him with astonishing ease. 

“Do not worry. Your Princess is in good hands now.” Sendak sneered down at Lance and pressed the tip of his boot against the human’s throat, cutting off his air supply. “However, instead of killing you, I think I’d rather let you live with yourself. Live with the fact that even after ten thousand years, your people still fell to the hands of the Galra.” He pulled the boot away from Lance’s throat, along with his metal arm, but Lance couldn’t enjoy the relief of oxygen for long. Without hesitation, Haxus passed Rowan off to Sendak and turned back to Lance. The smaller of the two Galra lifted up his gun and slammed the butt of it into the side of Lance’s skull. 

The last thing Lance heard was his daughter’s voice, screaming out for him before everything went dark.

\-------

Lance’s head was swimming, everything dark and slow. It was like his consciousness was moving through tar, just this dark and heavy blanket that weighed him down and kept everything muted. His head throbbed but not from any one specific place. It hurt everywhere.

“....ance…? Lance…? _Lance?!_ ”

He groaned at the noise, but instead of it going away like he hoped, there was suddenly a hand on his shoulder that shook him insistently. 

“Lance! Wake up!” His eyes screwed shut to keep himself from getting nauseous but the fog slowly cleared from his head when he actually started to recognize that voice. 

“A… Allura?” He croaked and his voice cracked a little in the middle. He tried opening his eyes to look up and confirm his guess, but all he could do was blink a few times and squint.

"Thank god!" Allura whispered under her breath and she cupped Lance's face to carefully turn it around and examine his bruises. She noted the constantly unfocused blue eyes and how Lance didn't seem to fully understand what was happening. Lance had trouble seeing three Alluras for a few seconds and that could have been the result of a concussion. It was not something that they could deal with right away, not without any medical help at least.

"Lance, listen to me.” He tried to, he really did. “Who did this to you?" Allura asked and gently patted Lance's face to get his attention when his gaze started to trail off to the side. She could see for herself that his vision was still swimming because he couldn't look straight towards her. “Where is Rowan?"

Lance shook his head in a futile attempt to get his thoughts together. Allura’s words weren’t making any sense and he just needed to stop feeling like the room was tilting sideways. 

“I don’t... don’t-“ He reached a hand up to rub his eyes. “We were... then...” Lance was cut short when Allura brushed her fingers over a particularly nasty bruise at the back of his head and he hissed at the sudden sting. The skin wasn’t broken, at least it didn’t feel that way, but it definitely did not feel nice either. Then his eyes widened the next second. His whole face turned deathly pale as the memories of that night came crashing back to him. “Rowan... no. _No!_ ” Lance pushed himself up off the floor so fast his vision blurred and his legs nearly gave out on him. He would have crashed back to the floor of Allura didn’t have a firm hold on him. “They, they took her. Oh god- fuck, they took her.”

"Oh no, you don't." Allura hissed and pushed against Lance's shoulders to get him to sit down on the floor again. She could not afford to have the man faint in front of her and put himself in an even worse state. It was already bad as it was. "Lance, who are 'they'?" Allura demanded and once more had to tilt her friend's chin up to make him look at her. It wouldn't help them if Lance wouldn't be able to even gather his thoughts or form words and she needed him to. If she was going to learn anything about what happened they both had to stay clear-headed.

“The monsters.”

“What?”

“The monsters!” Lance insisted and before Allura could protest and say it was the potential concussion talking, he kept trying to explain himself. “I remember- they burst through the door. A bomb or something and these _things_ came in and- and they were huge and _purple_ and... and...” Lance dropped his head into his hands. “I couldn’t stop them.”

"Lance, such things don't even...--" Allura tried but she was already being cut off by Lance shaking his head. He couldn’t take not being believed but his description was just… too out there. Like Lance had taken creatures out of a children's movie and dragged them into reality. A coping mechanism to handle the shock after such a traumatizing event. 

"We have to get you a doctor. I'm not letting you walk in that state, do you understand?" Allura asked and glared at her friend when Lance shook his head again. "We can also contact someone who could help. But with you out of commission I won't be able to do much so I need you to get better first."

“No...” Lance backed away as best he could and shook his head again. The more Allura refused to believe him the more clear his head became because he couldn’t waste any more time. Lance knew what he saw and he couldn’t just sit here, trying to make Allura believe him. “No, I need to go to the police- _now_ , Allura. I don’t have time to go to a doctor.” They wouldn’t help him anyway. They would check him over and ignore everything he said, then lock him in a room for the night until he was cleared and that was not going to help him. It was not going to help _Rowan_.. Every second wasted was another second his daughter got further away from him. “I need the police, the CIA, homeland security- _something_. Please, Allura.” If Allura still insisted on taking him to an ER, then Lance would go to the police himself. “Please, I need to find my...” Lance trailed off and started to slowly back away from Allura, his gaze growing distrustful. “Why are you here?”

Too much had happened in the last twenty-four hours to be a coincidence. Meeting Allura at the cafe, the call, the attack, and now by some random chance Allura decided to show up at his doorstep after Rowan was already gone. 

“Lance, that’s hardly imp…” Allura stopped her chastising when she realized what Lance’s suspicious gaze entailed and she immediately shook her head. “Lance, I had no idea anything would happen. I swear- I came to see Rowan myself actually.” She pulled away from Lance so that she could reach for her purse. It had been abandoned earlier somewhere on the apartment floor.

"Rowan drew something... Something from my past. My mother's necklace." She explained briefly and took the drawing out of her purse to show it to Lance. "But she couldn't have known what it looked like, I keep it locked in a jewelry box in my flat. I wanted to ask you two about it. And then I found your house with the door blasted in and you on the floor."

Lance reached up and took the picture. He definitely recognized it. Rowan would spend hours drawing castles and mystical gems, saying she dreamed them up before telling Lance all sorts of stories. She had been drawing non stop for the last few weeks. "Are you sure it's your mother's?"

"Lance, I looked at that necklace every night before I went to sleep for years. I would recognize it if I was blind." There was no arguing with that. Allura was sure, but that still left so many questions. Rowan had only met Allura that same day, there was no way she could ever...

"I need to find Ro's bag, all her drawings are there." Lance shakily rose to his feet, and this time he didn't need Allura's hand on his shoulder to keep him standing. Allura tried to stop her friend from moving so much again but Lance was too stubborn and all she was able to do was keep an eye on him. She followed Lance out of the living room and up the stairs towards where the bedrooms were, constantly worrying her lip between her teeth. She couldn't understand any of it, not the mysterious purple men, not Rowan's drawings or her kidnapping. Too many things just weren't adding up. 

"Lance?" She asked softly when Lance opened the right door and started looking around for Rowan’s brightly colored school bag. Once he spotted it shoved between Ro’s bed and side table, he knelt down and started rifling through it. 

“Rowan’s been drawing things like this for weeks. I figured she was just on a fantasy kick after watching that Elves show on Netflix.” Lance handed Allura several pages of drawings. Some had towering castles with tall blue towers and others were covered with symbols of all different colors. “Maybe we can talk to the police...Allura?” She was staring at the pictures like she had completely forgotten Lance was there.

She felt like all of the air had been pushed out of her lungs. Looking from drawing to drawing, her mouth went dry. She recognized the pictures. Or at least it felt like she did, even if it wasn't really possible. It could have been a badly-timed deja vu, but that didn’t explain the way something inside her _twisted_ with familiarity.

“Allura?”

Her head snapped up like Lance had pinched her, even though he was a solid three feet away. She took a steadying breath and neatly folded up the papers. "The police, yes. I know someone who should still work there. But we need to leave now before his shift ends." Her voice was steady though now it was her that remained unfocused, different blurry images flashing in her head. She needed to contact Coran.

\--------

The drive to the police station on the other side of town would typically take around half an hour, but with Allura behind the wheel the time was cut down by half. She must have broken at least a dozen traffic laws but Lance was the last person who was going to tell her to slow down. 

"Shiro’s worked at this station for years, he should be able to help." She explained as she whipped into the parking lot and somehow managed to slide into a parking spot without hitting any other cars. Lance was out of the car as soon as it stopped, pictures in hand and just praying that someone would be able to do something. 

"I hope you're right." 

The pair hurried inside the station and bypassed the front desk completely. Allura didn't need anyone pointing her in the right direction anyway. She dragged Lance through the halls of the station, ignoring the strange glances they received. She had been to Shiro’s office before and just like she predicted, it had not changed. Her knock was quick and firm, and before anyone could bother to let her in she opened the door to see a familiar face only a few inches from her own. 

"Allura?" Shiro asked, surprise mixing with worry when he noticed a rough-looking stranger behind her. He stepped aside to let the two in and didn’t take his eyes off them. "What's going on? Usually you’d call before coming in."

Lance’s hands were clenching and flexing quickly. He hadn’t checked the time before leaving, he had no idea how long he’d been out or how long it had been since Rowan was taken. All he could think about were those late night shows on TV about kids who went missing and thinking about all the episodes that ended in cold cases were not going to help him at all. 

"Please, please you need to help-" He was cut short when the door to the office suddenly burst open and someone else walked in. 

"Shiro? Nyma said two civilians came in without...." Keith trailed off as he eyed the two newcomers and stared at Lance. "McClain?"

" _Keith?_ " 

Shiro looked between the two men, a little lost. "You two... know each other?"

"Lance and I were in college together for the first two years. Til I left for the academy and Lance kept going for... Something. Didn’t I hear you… What happened to you?" Keith asked, finally noticing how banged up and frazzled Lance was. 

"We didn't come here for pleasantries and gossip." Allura hissed and waited for the three men to give her their attention. They didn't have any time to waste. "We need help. And it's something that cannot wait so if you could just stop with the unnecessary questions I'd be very grateful." She added when she saw Shiro was already opening his mouth to say something. Quite frankly she'd love to catch up and get a few minute break but there were much bigger priorities at the moment. "Lance, tell them everything that you told me. You can trust Shiro, he's a good man and an even better cop."

Shiro stepped closer between the pair so he could lay a hand on Lance's shoulder and bring him over to a chair to sit down. "Alright, if it's an emergency, then breathe and start from the beginning." Even Shiro could see that Lance was dazed and stressed out beyond his wits. He looked up at Allura. "Can you call someone? It might be good to have someone he's close with here." Lance shakily reached into his pocket to pull out his phone and lifted it up for Allura to take. She had only been back a few weeks, she wouldn’t know who to call without looking at Lance’s phone.

"Yes, of course." Allura confirmed and took the phone from Lance. His hands were shaking so badly she was afraid he might let it out of his grip but thankfully nothing like that happened. She looked over her friend one last time before leaving the room to make a call. She couldn't know with who Lance had been close to, they had been apart for too long, but she could guess the right names would be on the emergency list in his contacts. She could only hope it would work.

Shiro and Keith waited until Allura was out of the room before focusing on Lance again. Keith walked over to lean up against the desk while Shiro sat in the chair beside Lance. 

"Alright, now, tell us what happened. Take your time."

"Last night- or, earlier, I guess. Two men broke into my house and... and they took my daughter." Both the officers looked at each other with surprised and dire expressions but neither of them said anything to interrupt Lance. "They kept calling me Altean or something. I've never heard of him before but they wouldn't listen and... one of them cracked me over the head with something. When I woke up, Rowan was gone."

Shiro bit the tip of his tongue before asking another question. He kept his voice low and calm, since he needed Lance to focus on what he remembered. Sometimes it was the smallest details that helped solve a case. "Can you describe those men to me?" He asked and saw fear flashing in the younger man's eyes. He waited another moment and when Lance still didn't respond he put a hand on Lance's knee to encourage him a little, keep him steady. "It'd help us a lot to know who we're looking for."

"You won't believe me." Lance sighed and started to fidget with his hands in his lap. Allura thought he was crazy and if he told the police... They would have him committed to the closest hospital before he could get another word out in his defense. 

"Well, you can not tell us and we lose time trying to find your daughter or you can tell us everything you remember and we can have something to go off of. Even if we don't believe you. Your daughter is missing and not saying anything just wastes time." Keith pointed out, though his voice was a lot softer. He felt bad for Lance, and he wasn’t saying it to antagonize him. But those were the facts. Lance stared at him for solid thirty seconds before he gulped down the lump in his throat and nodded. 

"There were two of them.Tall, at least seven feet. In this... weird armor, black and red and purple." Lance didn't see Shiro or Keith writing anything down, but they still looked like they were listening. At least for now. "And... they were purple, with yellow eyes."

Shiro and Keith exchanged confused looks but neither of them said anything as they tried to think in what kind of scenario that could work. They could have been regular people in costumes that made them appear taller and bulkier, and Lance didn't look particularly strong, he could be knocked over by anyone who knew how to do it. But didn't that sound too ridiculous? Shiro sighed softly unsure of what to say but eventually spoke up. 

"I can try to contact a portrait artist, maybe they'll be able to bring some light to this case if we have a visual." He decided, “Keith do you know anyone on a late shift tonight?” The younger officer shrugged and Shiro looked over to Lance again. The younger man started fidgeting once more and stared at his own hands. 

"Hey, it'll be okay. We'll do everything in our power to bring your daughter back to you." Shiro assured him. "Keith, could you get the first aid kit? Lance could use a look-over."

"I don't need a look-over. I need to find my daughter." Lance protested, surprising both officers with how firm his voice was. "You don't understand, she's all I have and I can't..." Lance dropped his gaze to the floor and hugged himself tightly, his voice getting a little shaky. "He ripped her right out of my arms. I can't sit here while a sketch artist laughs at me and tells me I'm talking about monsters."

"Please, at least let us treat your bruises." Shiro pleaded. It was hard enough getting a person to cooperate, but Lance was a grieving father. Their hearts went out to him, but they still had to take care of what they had control over. Right now, they could fix Lance up. Shiro made sure to tell Lance all of that and not long after Lance gave in. After getting a tired sigh and a nod from Lance, Shiro waved a hand at Keith for him to go and get a first aid kit from the cabinet in the corner of his office. There was a small medical room at the station, but Shiro liked to have his own personal supply just in case. 

Soon after that was taken care of the two policeman left the room in order to allow Lance some space and possibly get a second opinion from someone trusted. They needed to think fast, cases involving child kidnapping were always delicate, and this one was even more confusing since apparently Rowan was taken by giant purple men with yellow eyes. Keith and Shiro agreed to wait for the initial shock to wear off before asking for descriptions again. 

Allura came back into the office only a few minutes after Keith and Shiro had left. She'd made all the necessary calls and now he wanted to be there for her friend. 

"I called Hunk and Pidge? They were in your emergency contacts. They should be here soon." She informed him before sitting down with a sigh. This was all so confusing and frustrating. "How are you feeling?" She asked, and instantly regretted the words ever coming out of her mouth.

"Like I need to scream my lungs out and collapse into dust all at the same time." Lance answered honestly and he sounded so tired. "I don't know what to do Allura, I don't know what I _can_ do."

"Hey, it's okay. You don't always have to know everything." Allura said softly and carefully cupped Lance's face to get a better look at at him. He was still pale and bruised up but it wasn't anything he wouldn't recover from. "Shiro and Keith are already on the case and your friends are on the way. There's nothing more we can do at that moment, we have to be patient."

Allura frowned further when all Lance did was lean into her palm and look away. She wished she could do more as well, but they were both stuck. "We'll find her soon. I promise."

"You can’t promise something like that." Lance sighed. He needed to find her. The only way that he would ever get any peace would be when she was back safe in his arms and at this point the likelihood of that happening wasn't good. Allura sat up in her chair and pulled it closer so she was pressed against Lance, holding his hand and whispering soft encouragements. He appreciated it more than she could ever understand, but the only way he could voice it was leaning against her. 

They did not know how long they stayed like that, but the two of them jumped up when there was a sharp knock at the door and a tall man poked his head into the office. "I'm looking for McClain, Lance McClain?" The man asked, eyes lingering on the two strangers and noting that neither Shiro nor his partner were in the office.

“That’s me.” Lance raised his hand for a weak wave as he looked at the man warily. Maybe Shiro had called the sketch artist after all. 

“I have two individuals who came to see you, they said that officer Shi-“ before the tall man could finish his sentence, the door burst open completely. Pidge and Hunk rushed in and immediately ran over to Lance, ignoring the way the man who brought them to the office grunted.

"Thank you, Ulaz. We can manage them all from here." Shiro said, coming up behind the senior officer with a grateful smile. He and Keith had been in the breakroom for most of the time, trying to figure out the best plan of attack while giving Lance and Allura some time to cool down. Hopefully now having loved ones around would help Lance. It was a highly irregular procedure, but it was an emergency situation, so exceptions had to be made for now. "I'll call you later to fill you in." The officer promised. Ulaz grunted in acceptance and shut the door behind himself. 

Pidge and Hunk couldn't care less about the conversation between the two officers; they were both already on their knees and in front of their friend. They didn't have a clue how Lance must have been feeling, but there was no way in hell they would let him go through this alone. 

“We’re here for you, buddy.” Hunk pulled Lance into a tight side hug. His best line of defense was always physical affection and Lance really appreciated it right then.

"We'll find her, okay? We will." Pidge promised because in her mind there were no other possible options. Allura stood up and gave the three friends some space. 

“I have to step out, but I’ll be back. Will you be alright, Lance?” She asked gently and Lance nodded his head. Though he would have liked her to stay, he understood if she had to take a minute for herself. That didn’t stop his eyes from trailing after her as she left. 

“Mr. McClain.” Shiro cut in, and ducked his head apologetically when Pidge glared at him. “Is there a reason your wife or... Rowan’s mother isn’t here with us?” He asked because it seemed strange that two friends would be called before the mother was even brought up. Though Shiro couldn’t be completely sure since he did not usually deal with the children cases that came in. 

“Rowan’s mother and I are separated. We were never married.” The single father explained and looked to Hunk gratefully when the bigger man squeezed him. 

“Is there any animosity between you two? I don’t want to make any assumptions, but there have been cases of separated spouses taking back their children by force.” Those were the more messy cases that were often talked about in the break room in hushed, pitting tones. Lance shook his head. 

“No, none at all. We’re on very good terms, considering the circumstances. And Danielle didn’t want the custody, not once, so she wouldn’t hire hit men to attack me and take our kid.” His ex was a lot of things, but aggressive and cruel were not some of them.

Shiro nodded his head and made a mental note of it. They would still have to visit the mother's house and ask her several questions about her daughter, along with her and Lance's relationship, but that could wait. 

"Do you possibly have a working phone number we could use to contact her? She may not be in touch with her daughter, but as Rowan's mother she should be informed of what happened. She could know something we don't." Shiro said and looked towards the father, waiting for an answer.

Lance nodded his head shakily and relayed the number he had memorized. He rarely used it, but every few months he would call Rowan's mother to give her updates, so he knew that the police would be able to reach her. 

"You can try, but I don't think Danielle would know anyone named Altean or anybody from Galra." Hunk quirked a brow at the names. 

"Galra? Is that some kind of town?"

Shiro immediately perked up. There was nowhere around them with a name even close to Galra, but that opened up an entirely new avenue. “Some gangs were known for committing terrible crimes as a form of initiation. If they did not know Lance personally, he could have been randomly selected.” Keith pushed himself away from the filing cabinet he had been leaning against, catching onto Shiro’s train of thought quickly.

"I don't know any gangs by that name off the top of my head, but I can look for them in our records. Maybe we'll pull something up. Anyone who pulls stunts like this has to be on file..." He fell silent when an unfamiliar voice cut in. 

"You won't find anything."

All eyes turned to an older gentleman standing in the doorway to the office, face care-worn and his bright handlebar mustache twitching with every movement of his lips. Allura was right next to him and it took Lance a few seconds to make the connection.

"Mister Coran!" He hadn’t seen Coran since he was in high school. After all the time that had passed, they never To his surprise, Coran didn’t look like he had aged a day. Maybe some extra wrinkles around his kind blue eyes but nothing beyond that. The older man smiled at Lance sympathetically in greeting but didn’t say anything more.

"What do you mean they won't find anything? Who are these people?" Allura asked, her forehead creasing in both worry and confusion. 

Coran looked critically to the sides before frowning and shaking his head. "Not in here. We could find ourselves in even bigger trouble if someone overheard by accident. But if we drive over to our home, that's where we'll be secure. I'll explain everything there." 

He looked towards Hunk and Pidge with a tense expression, though it wasn’t as intimidating with a bright orange mustache in the way. "You two should head home. I'm sorry but it's a family issue."

Hunk and Pidge visibly bristled at being dismissed so quickly and they both straightened up so they were standing on either side of Lance. He couldn't help but feel like he was being sandwiched between two brick walls. 

"Yeah, it is a family issue. Rowan is missing. We're her family." Hunk said with his chin tilted up and his mouth pulled into a stubborn frown. Pidge adjusted her glasses in that menacing way Lance recognized all too well from years of knowing her. The only way she would leave would be kicking and screaming. 

"In short, they aren’t leaving. Anything you have to say about my daughter you can say in front of them." Lance piped up and they were all pressed for time, so Coran could hardly waste time to argue. And if he had any information about the people who took Rowan, Lance wouldn’t give him the opportunity to argue. Coran seemed to understand that because he sighed and nodded his head. 

"Please, follow me then." He said, then looked towards Shiro and Keith who also stood up and were ready to join them out the door. If they had been just any policeman Coran would tell them to stay where they were and leave the rest to him, but if Allura had come to them, then they had to be trustworthy people. "I will drive Allura and Lance in my car, you two, please take Shiro and his friend." He told Hunk and Pidge and then they set off. 

The ride itself wasn't long in particular but it was filled with constant silence, tension so thick the air could be cut with a knife. Coran did his best to focus on the road, peering at his niece and Lance only every once in a while to see if they were still okay.

Allura held Lance's hand in hers the entire ride, but her mind was in a hundred different places. Her day had gone from pleasantly surprising to a whirlwind of panic and confusion. She needed answers, but the closer they got to her childhood home, the less and less she felt prepared to receive them. 

Soon enough, Coran pulled into the driveway and Shiro’s squad car parked on the street in front of the small, cozy single-family house. Lance recognized it immediately. Countless memories of him and Allura playing in the backyard, acting out fantasies and adventures they would come up with. All those memories played in his head, along with the many nights at the dining room table, struggling to understand equations and memorize historical dates. It was almost comical how everything back then seemed like life or death. Lance wished he could have those old problems back, when passing a test was his biggest worry. At least he had the tools to be prepared in those times. There was no textbook he could study to help with the chilling fear that wrapped around him now. 

Coran led everyone inside, Allura and Lance following right behind with Pidge and Hunk falling in after them and the two officers picking up the rear. They were all brought into the living room where Allura had Lance sit down on the sofa. Pidge and Hunk wedged themselves on Lance’s other side. Keith and Shiro stood behind the sofa, on guard and alert as they kept a close eye on Coran. 

“Alright, we’re away from the station, no one but us. Now, can you please tell us what is happening here? Who were those men and why did they take Rowan?” Shiro asked, because now they were wasting even more time and they didn’t even know if the information Coran had would be worth waiting for. 

“It’s hardly something you’ll believe, but what I’m about to tell you is the absolute truth.” 

\--------

As it turned out, the information was worth waiting for. 

Coran explained it to the best of his ability, but it all came down to the unbelievable fact that Rowan was abducted by aliens. To be more exact, Rowan was abducted by soldiers of a vicious alien race that had been at war with the planet Altea. It took a lot of patience on Coran’s part to convince everyone that he was telling the truth, he had to stop and answer a lot of questions about his current mentals state. But the place Rowan kept dreaming of was a real place. Altea was a beautiful kingdom with vast oceans and sparkling buildings. It was a paradise. 

It was also Coran and Allura’s proper home. 

“Coran, don’t be ridiculous. I’m not- we’re not-” Allura was sitting on the edge of her seat. 

“You wouldn’t remember it. You were too young and your father wanted to keep you safe when the Galra attacked. We thought that we could fight them off... But before anyone knew it, the Galra swarmed our forces with a ferocity we couldn’t defend against. Entire continents were lost within days and King Alfor, your father, decided that you would be safer somewhere else.” Coran knelt down in front of Allura and took her shaking hands in his. 

“Alfor loved you, Allura. He believed you could keep the magic of Altea alive without being followed by the Galra. So he placed you in a cryopod and used our chameleon abilities to hide your Altean features and your magic. He instructed me to take care of you.”

“Why… Why didn’t he come with me? With us?” She asked weakly and Coran’s smile turned pained. 

“He wanted to, but as king, he could not abandon his kingdom. Even when Altea was lost, he remained and died trying to protect those who were left.” Allura felt her breath leave her and her grip on Coran’s hands tightened. She always knew he parents had passed away, her and Coran looked too different for them to be related. But still, hearing this new side of her life, a whole culture and life she never knew. Allura took in a steadying breath and looked up at Coran. 

“You said he hid my features. What features?” She asked and Coran gave her a weak smile before he closed his eyes. Right there, in front of everyone, he shifted. His ears became pointed, and twin blue markings appeared under his eyes. And when he opened them, there was an audible gasp at how brightly colored his eyes were. They weren’t human. 

“Okay, so I’ll be honest, I thought you were a crazy old man with a great mustache but- yeah, now I’m convinced.” Hunk piped up for the first time in a while and both Keith and Pidge nodded their heads in agreement. At least now they had some solid evidence that Coran was… well, an alien. The older man shot them all a look, clearly not pleased with their lack of faith in him, before he turned back to Allura.

“You’ve lived all your life knowing how to hide. I want you to imagine letting go, whatever you can imagine when I say those words. Let go and allow you body to relax into what it was born as.” He instructed and although Allura seemed nervous, she did as she was told. 

Lance could only stare with his mouth hanging open as he watched Allura’s ears turn elf like. Markings similar to Coran’s appeared on her face, though hers were a soft pink hue. Allura opened her eyes when she heard Pidge gasp and they were just as bright as Coran’s. They were the most beautiful eyes Lance had ever seen and he already thought he brown eyes were stunning. 

“Would you like a mirror?” Shiro asked gently but Allura shook her head. 

“No, thank you. I’d rather not faint right this moment, so I’ll leave it up to my imagination for now.” Lance was still surprised that Allura was as calm as she was. Though Allura was always the type to try and remain as calm as possible- until she snapped. It was probably why she was so collected when she had a child throwing papers at her in a coffee shop. The memory had the man straightening up in alarm. 

“But that still doesn’t explain why they would take Rowan. Allura only met her this morning.” Lance pointed out. He didn’t mean to cut Coran off from teaching Allura about her heritage. This was all a lot to process, especially for the apparent princess, but they still had an emergency to handle. Everyone else seemed to snap to attention at the reminder of why they were all there in the first place. 

“Right.” Coran straightened up and tried to think. “They would have needed something to track you down with. But it would have to be Altean in nature. A communicator or a ship or some kind of mineral with elevated properties for transportation or…” 

“What about a jewel?” Lance demanded and Coran paused, looking at him with a quizzical expression. Allura seemed just as confused. 

“Do you think Rowan took something from my bag at the cafe?” Allura asked though she seemed very doubtful. Lance shook his head no. 

“There was a necklace you gave me- back in high school.” Lance had tried to deny the gift in ninth grade but Allura always insisted that he keep it. Even when they were getting ready to go to their respective colleges, Lance tried one more time to give it back but Allura refused to even speak to him until Lance put the necklace back in his bag. 

“The one with the sapphire? You really kept it all these years?” Allura sounded so shocked and Lance felt his cheeks get rosy with embarrassment. 

“W-well of course I did! You gave it to me as a gift.” That seemed like a logical reason to keep it in Lance’s eyes. Keith coughed into his fist. 

“But what does a necklace have to do with anything?” He pressed and Lance stammered to get back to his point.

“Right! Uh- a couple years ago Ro was going through a nosy phase and went looking through my room. She found the necklace in my box of old high school things. She loved it, thought it was the prettiest thing in the world. I couldn’t tell her she wasn’t allowed to have it, so she’s been wearing it or keeping it in her backpack ever since.” He finished explaining and Coran nodded his head. 

“Yes, that’ll do it. And I thought you said you lost that necklace on a carnival ride!” Allura ducked her head with a guilty smile then made a small hand gesture for her uncle to continue. “That necklace was given to you a birth, on Altea. But it’s no sapphire. It’s a Blameran crystal. Alteans have a very deep connection to them, but usually not until out magic becomes fully manifested. The crystal remained dormant while you were a child because you, along with your magic, had not fully matured. And then you gave it away,” Coran still did not look happy about that, “which set back the crystal’s awakening even more.”

“So… when you came back to town a few weeks ago…” Lance stared at Allura while the pieces started to slot together. Coran hummed and continued for Lance.

“Yes, now that you are of age and were now relatively close to the crystal, that must have triggered its awakening.” Which would have also explained Rowan’s persistent dreams about crystals and castles. It explained why Rowan though Allura was a princess in the cafe. She had been right. “The Galra must have picked up on it’s signature, thinking that you had just woken up from the cryopod. And given how old Rowan is… the timelines would match up. You were about the same age when you were sent away. They really do believe that Rowan is you- at least for now.” 

“And… what about when they realize she’s not? Rowan’s a human child. She has no magic. What will they do to her?” Lance asked, because that was making him more scared than anything. If Rowan was valued by these Galra monsters then maybe she could be safe, but once they realized they got the wrong person? What would become of his little girl then?

“The Galra would not send anyone of importance on a scouting mission that was not guaranteed to have results. My guess is that Rowan was brought onto a small cargo vessel and will be brought to a high command station where a druid will determine if she is the Princess or not. Until then, she should be treated carefully and will not be harmed.” Coran assured but there were still too many if scenarios that Lance did not want to think about. 

There was a long pause before Shiro spoke up. 

“So, how can we track these Galra down and how do we get to them.” Everyone stared at him in shock. Shiro just shrugged. “We have a missing child, right now I’m focusing on that part because it’s the only thing that makes sense to me right now.” Everyone could agree with that. 

“Mister Coran, how exactly did you and Allura get here?” Pidge inquired, peering up at the Altean through her glasses. “If you came here in some kind of ship, it it’s still operational, we could use that to go after the Galra.” Coran quickly shook his head. 

“This is a dangerous mission! I am not having several earthlings with no experience with space travel or alien contact go up into deep space!” It was a reasonable claim, but he was already receiving several stubborn frowns. 

“Yes, Coran. Thank you, we know we have no experience and right now I’m doing my best not to cry but right now my best uncle ever card is at risk and I am not losing that. So, yeah, I’m going and I need Pidge for moral support.” Hunk was going to be terrified the entire time but he loved Rowan too much not help Lance get her back. 

Shiro stepped around from behind the sofa so he could level with the older man. “Coran. We appreciate your concern. But at this point, all of us are involved. We’re going to get Rowan back, no matter what. So, do you have a way for us to catch the Galra ship or not?” The Altean let out a small huff at being outnumbered- again, but he nodded his head. 

“Alfor sent Allura and I in the castle of lions, it doubles as a rather impressive ship. My grandfather built it actually in-!”

“Coran! No time.” 

“Right. It hasn’t been used in years, but I remember where I hid it. It should be enough for us to catch up the Galra ship well before it reaches high command. But we need to act fast.” Both humans and Alteans nodded in agreement. 

They would try to get as much rest as possible tonight, even though it was already reaching the early hours of the next morning. Then, Coran would take them to this castle of lions where they would… fly into space and figure out a rescue plan from there. 

In the meantime. All of them had to take some time to come to grips with what had now become of their reality. Pidge and Keith both seemed pretty smug about their belief in aliens being supported by living proof. Though Hunk was now very worried about what _else_ was out there that were supposedly “fake.” Shiro was just trying to focus on the facts and Lance still curled on the couch, lost in his own little world. He didn’t care that aliens existed, by as much as he thought he should. He just wanted his little girl back in his arms. 

Allura laid a hand on Lance’s shoulder to get his attention and tilted her chin towards the glass doors leading out onto a back patio. She didn’t have to say a word for Lance to follow her, though she kept her arm wrapped around his shoulders the entire time it took them to walk outside and sit down together on the brick steps. No one spoke up as the pair left. The four left in the house were still trying to process everything while Coran went off somewhere deeper into the home to look for the old maps that would lead them to the castle he had somehow kept hidden for over twenty years. 

For a long while, neither Lance nor Allura said anything. They just sat together in the cool night air, until Lance ran a hand over his face and sighed heavily. Allura scooted herself closer so their thighs were touching and placed her hand on Lance’s arm. She still remembered that the best way to comfort Lance was physical contact, even something as simple as this. 

“We are going to get her back.” She assured him stubbornly, like there was no other option beyond that, just like Pidge. Lance didn’t look at her and shook his head. 

“I never should have lost her in the first place.”

“It wasn’t your-”

“My fault? It’s not on me that my daughter was in my arms and was taken away from me? It’s not my fault that she’s gone?” Without realizing it, Lance’s voice had risen in volume. However, as soon as it came, the rage left and Lance slumped back down again. 

“It’s mine.”

“What?”

“It’s my fault, Lance. Don’t you see? The Galra mistook Rowan for me. I’m the one that should have been taken, not an innocent child.” Every time Allura thought of it, her stomach twisted and her chest got tight with guilt. “It’s my fault the Galra came in the first place, I can’t imagine why you don’t hate me for it.” 

“Allura, I could never hate you. And this isn’t your fault.”

“And yet it’s still somehow yours?” Allura pressed and this time Lance couldn’t argue. If he did they would just keep going back and forth playing the blame game until they were both too frustrated to talk to each other. So, Lance tucked his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on top of them.

“At least we know why you always wanted to be team leader in class, princess.” He mumbled and Allura allowed herself a conflicted smile. 

“Yes, a princess… I suppose every little girl wants to imagine she’ll hear that news. I don’t think it’s quite hit me yet. I don’t think any of this has.” Lance nodded his head in agreement. At least he had seen the Galra, so Coran’s tales matched up to what he remembered. But he couldn’t imagine how everyone else was holding onto their sanity. 

“Well, whether you’re a princess or not, pointy ears or no, you’re still Allura to me.” And that was something that Lance knew would never change. Allura seemed to be surprised by that before she smiled softly. 

“Thank you, Lance. I hope you won’t mind reminding me of that in the future.” 

They fell into a still silence, just staring up at the stars.

“Tell me about her?” Allura asked after a while. She couldn’t take the silence, not when it allowed both of them to fall into their own heads and become tangled with guilt and fear. They needed to stay in the present, or at least keep things in perspective. 

“What, about Rowan?” Lance asked and Allura nodded her head while she looked at Lance expectantly. 

“What can you say? She’s- she’s just the best kid, ‘Lura. She’s got this quirky personality and this _energy_. I don’t even know where it comes from.”

“I think I have an idea or two.” Allura played up the innocent tone just to be a tease. Lance rolled his eyes. 

“Haha, you’re hysterical.” He noted dryly, and tilted his head up at the sky. “She’s smart too. Amazing work ethic for a kid. I procrastinated like it was my job and Ro’s got a system for color coordinating her own weekly plans. She’s got all her tea parties highlighted in blue and her dragon hunting adventures in red. I swear someday I’m gonna hire her as my personal assistant. She definitely got that from her mother.” Lance trailed off, head still turned up to the sky and Allura glanced up as well with a slightly worried expression.

“And is her mother..?” She trailed off. She could be nosy sometimes, but this was something she did not want to pry into if Lance wasn’t ready. 

“Wha- oh. Oh! Oh god no!” Lance shook his head rapidly and his arms started to flail a bit at the implication. “Right, You were out when Shiro asked- No, she’s totally fine! Last I heard she was in Maine with her fiance or something.” 

While Allura was glad to hear there was no casualty associated with Lance’s family, she was still confused. 

“What happened then? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Ah, I mean, it was… definitely not planned.” Lance scratched the back of his neck nervously. “We were both in our senior year, and we thought we were serious about each other. But then- you know how it goes. One wrong night and suddenly Danielle was getting sick in the morning, had cravings. Before we knew it, we got a positive test. I told her that I would support her, whatever she decided and Danielle said she wanted to keep it. So we both pulled out of school. I got a full time job, and we were going to buy an apartment.” Lance looked out over the backyard, his mind somewhere else and buried in his memories while Allura finally got to hear about her friend’s life. 

“Then there was this one day I came home and she didn’t want it anymore. She was too young and she had so many goals she wanted to accomplish. We thought it might have been the hormones, but she was sure. She wasn’t ready to settle down with a child depending on her but we were too far into the pregnancy for an abortion. So we talked about having the baby, putting it up for adoption and splitting up. It broke my heart.” Allura knew that Lance was a lover at heart and any kind of separation was painful for him. The man glanced up when he felt Allura’s grip on his arm tighten; she had never taken it away.

“So what happened when she was born?” 

“Danielle still hadn’t changed her mind. She wasn’t ready and I couldn’t fault her for that. But the second I held that baby in my arms… I just knew I couldn’t let her go.” Allura watched as Lance’s face split into the most smitten expression she had ever seen in her life. “She was perfect, you know? Just these big eyes and smiling face. I couldn’t give her up no matter what. But Danielle… We knew that it would never be fair to Danielle or the baby if she forced herself to stay. It was a mutual agreement to give me full custody. And Danielle still pays child support and calls every now and again to check in, but she’s hands-off and free to live her own life, and I’m happy with mine.” It was never like Danielle got the better end of the deal between them. Lance could not have been happier with where his life turned. 

He blinked several times when he realized just how long he had been rambling and shook his head to snap himself back into reality. 

“Sorry! I- I could have made that story a lot shorter, huh?” 

“No, no, that’s wonderful.” Allura shook her head and couldn’t help but smile herself. It was a sweet story, and unlike so many with an unexpected pregnancy, this one seemed to turn out very well for everyone involved. “Ro is very lucky to have you for a dad.” Just like Allura was lucky to have Coran. Lance’s smile turned a bit more embarrassed and his cheeks were dusted with a blush. 

“I’m not that great. I just do what I can and pray I don’t mess it all up.” It felt like every parent shared that same sentiment. 

But bringing up the present made Lance remember why they were in the position that they were and his smile fell. Talking with Allura was a blessed distraction, but it wasn’t enough to make Lance forget his daughter was out there somewhere. 

Allura noticed that dark cloud that formed over her friend again. She couldn’t help herself when she pressed herself closer and tucked her head into the crook of Lance’s neck and shoulder. 

“We’re going to get her back.” She repeated, and this time, Lance laid his hand over hers and gave it a small squeeze. 

“I know.” 

Rowan was a strong girl. She had at least three pieces of clothing that labeled her a Tough Cookie. Coran said that the Galra wouldn’t hurt her as long as they thought she was Allura. That wasn’t a guarantee but it was all Lance had to rely on. It was all he could hope for. Ro would just have to make it for a little longer, be brave and wait for her daddy to come get her. And Lance would. 

The two adults stayed outside for another hour just staring up at a sky full of stars. Out there, among billions of lights, was a home Allura never knew but longed to see. And Lance had the center of his universe waiting for him. And there wasn’t a single force in all of creation that was going to stop him.


End file.
